Call Me Juliet
by DearRonWeasley31
Summary: I was at the lowest point in my life, feeling as if no light could possibly shine through. It was when I met him that everything seemed to change. AU R/H
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've decided to post this story…and to be honest I'm a little scared. I liked the idea and where I could take it. I just wanted to try it out, so…I hope you enjoy, and review please?:)**

**Also, Hermione is living as a muggle because she didn't know she was a witch (it'll be explained in a later chapter) Ron and Harry still went to Hogwarts and defeated Voldemort. It's as if everything in the books happened, except for anything with Hermione. I know someone will comment that some things couldn't have happened without Hermione, but just play with me okay?:)**

**Hope you enjoy:D**

Prologue

It seems quite weird doesn't it, the idea of love?

Love. Love. Love.

No matter how many times you say it, the word stays the same. Spelled the same, sounds the same, means the same. However, the word means nothing if it's said, but if you feel it; it's a whole different world at your fingertips. It's a word tossed around between people mistaken by a feeling that is merely on the surface, and has yet to be deeply explored.

Yet I've always been scared and fooled by love. Scared by the true thought of love, and how it can truly possess a person for both the greater and lesser good. Fooled by other boys who I thought had stolen my heart, which turned out to be they had only taken my common sense along with my right to concentrate.

I've heard it is quite a funny feeling, told by my parents that it was one of the only pure things in the world that still existed in today's society. My look on the subject is the same as my parents', but I believe that love can be corrupted in certain circumstances. Such as a man beating his wife, a woman marrying a man based on his money alone, sometimes even just an ordinary relationship can turned corrupted in a blink of an eye.

Though, for some odd reason, I've always been fascinated with love and the way that it works. I have never experienced the type of love that first comes to your mind when you first think of it; roses, kisses, and some things that aren't to be mentioned outside of those two people. Other love? I believe that most in the world have had love at their fingertips in some time in their life. Most are handed love into their palms, as their mother and father see them for the first time with the feeling of undying love surging through their bodies. Sadly, this is not the truth for everyone.

Love is a complicated thing, something that I've been charmed by for a while now; even though I've never truly experienced it. It scares me a bit, to think of lending someone your heart and trusting that they won't drop and break it along the way. Would they hold onto it forever until the world ended? Or would it be when a wind came and blew it out of their hands?

Chapter One: Hiding 

"Get up," I felt a plump pillow hit the side of my face. My body curved perfectly into the bed, the fluff of the bed hitting all the right spots, I didn't want to move an inch. Another flying object came flying my way, landing right next to my head. This caused my eyes to open slightly, only to be shut quickly again from a blinding light stabbing me in the eye. I placed a hand up to block the light, and squinted an eye at the person across the room.

"Was that really necessary?"

My vision focused onto Elizabeth's braided blonde hair that frayed at every given point, my eyes still squinting.

"Completely." Elizabeth answered. "Now get up Hermione, it's almost seven."

"Seven, by that I hope you mean 7 at night." I said, swinging my aching legs over the side of the bed. "Or else I would've only gotten three hours of sleep."

"Well, that's your fault then isn't it?" She said, a bit too cheerful for my liking. Elizabeth, being my best friend, was supposed to be there for me when I'm at rock bottom. Actually, I hadn't quite reached my rock bottom; I still had my flat to lose. My best friend had yet to abandon me, and my parents still talk to me every so often. So I guess that I hadn't quite gotten there yet, but at the rate I was going, it looked like I would there soon. "Now get up, it's time to smile at random people in the street and go jogging around the busy streets of London."

Climbing out of bed, I felt my muscles ache to every move I made, regretting the anger that I took out yesterday when I went to the gymnasium yesterday. "Must we jog? Walking would be nice too, but we could also take the tube."

"Nope, you promised me a jog last week, and we're getting a jog. Anyways, I want to show you a little restaurant at the end of our jog, it's the cutest thing." She said, ranting on as she walked out of my room. "I'll be in the kitchen, and I'm guessing that it's coffee and two pain killers?"

"Sounds delicious, but Liz?" She stuck her head back into the room.

"Yeah?"

"Did we go drinking last night and the gym? Or just the gym?" I said, and she laughed at me.

"You tell me," With that, I heard her retrieving my coffee cups from the cabinet and starting the coffee maker. With the headache that soon began to pound against the inside of my skull, I soon knew my answer to my own question.

Wishing I hadn't promised Liz to an act of exercising, I threw on my tank top and shorts, picking up my running shoes and holding them with my fingers as I walked into the kitchen. A cap held two blue pills and a steaming cup of black coffee sat next to it. Liz stood at the counter, leaning against it with her cup at her lips.

"I know it may seem like I'm being a bitch right now," Liz commented. "But I care about you too much to let you turn into a sad lunatic who sits with her cat all day."

"It's nice that you care this much Liz, but sometimes people need those days." I said, throwing the pills to the back of my throat and taking a sip of coffee. The bitterness seemed to bite my tongue, something that felt rather good at this time of the day.

"I'll tell you what," She opened the fridge, taking out a pitch of creamer. "Tomorrow, you sleep to your hearts content and we can watch all the movies we want." She proposed, and my heart ached for that at the moment. I fidgeted a bit, and then sighed.

"Mint chocolate ice cream?" I asked.

"Only the best." She smirked, and took another sip of her coffee. I nodded in agreement, and took another sip.

"So why did you spend the night?" I sat down, taking advantage of the time that my legs could be without my weight.

"I stayed because you were a bloody mess." She curled her fingers around the crevices of the mug, and began to tap on the side. "You took all your anger out on a boxing bag last night at the gym and you had quite a few drinks, I just couldn't leave you here alone."

"I would've been fine," I assured her. "And anyways, I wouldn't have been alone…"

"Your cat does not count." She pointed to me with glossy, red nails that sparkled in the morning light. "You have to get out more Hermione, meet some new people. Live in the moment. Find a handsome man, perhaps. Don't let your idiot of a boss ruin your life." Her Irish accent a bit more noticeable with this statement. "I hate seeing you like this Hermione, this isn't healthy."

"I understand, but I believe that I'll get through this. Like you said, after I get a run and eat all the ice cream I can tomorrow, I'll start back in the world with a smile."

"I really hope you will," She said, placing her cup in the sink and washing it out. "It'll be good for you Hermione."

"And you'll help me?"

"You know I will," She said. "But you know that I have to get back to my reality sometimes."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Is your firm hiring? I reckon I could be a good assistant to a lawyer or something."

"I'll ask around, but I think that they're all taken up by far too attractive women that have no idea what they're doing." She laughed. "Half of them are shagging each other, that's the only reason they keep their jobs."

"Liz!" I stifled a giggle behind my cup, laughing for the first time that day. I noticed that it was empty, and I set it down.

"Come on, we both know it's true." She took my cup from me and placed it into the sink. "Now, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, pulling on my shoes and lacing them up. "Mind if we run through the parks today? I know you like talking to that man at the bus station, but I'd rather go around him today."

"That's fine," She said. "He's not even there today, so it's not going to affect me the slightest."

"Now tell me how you know that?" I questioned.

"He told me he's off today, and asked me to dinner remember?" She said, and I nodded my head in remembrance.

"So are you going?" I questioned. "He seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah, I reckon so. He wants me to meet him at the Elephant and Castle tube station at six," She said. "I have no idea where we're going."

"Just be safe alright? Don't get yourself killed." I said, and she opened the door for me to step through.

"I won't, now are you ready?"

"No." I groaned and she smiled.

"Perfect, let's go."

It had taken an hour to reach the restaurant that Liz had mentioned, weaving through flocks of pigeons and people who were walking incredibly slowly on the park sidewalks. The medicine hadn't kicked in until after we had completed the jog, and I was actually thankful, or else I would be more in pain that I had before. Sometimes I like to thank modern technology and medicine, but sometimes I just don't want to think about it.

The restaurant was next to an old bookstore; a metal fence surrounded three tables that lay outside the front window. Each embellished with the necessary utensils, and a single lily lay in the center of each table, not a single flower was wilting. The outside was painted a vibrant yellow colour, able to be seen from a block or two away.

"So this is it?" I asked, smacking my lips.

She didn't answer, instead she simply walked into the restaurant, and so I followed her. When I stepped into the restaurant, it seemed to have enlarged from when I saw it from the outside. I reckon it was just the glass making it look smaller, though.

"Hi, welcome to Sunshine Daisies." A cheery, blonde-haired witch greeted us. Her voice was dreamy, each word smooth and easily transitioning into the next one. Her smile was radiant, and it was very evident why the owner's made her the hostess of the restaurant. "Is it just two today, Elizabeth?"

"Just us two, Luna." She confirmed.

"Will it be inside or outside today?"

"Do you care?" Liz asked me, and I shook my head. "Outside please."

"Outside it is, then."

After being taken to our table, Liz and I talked about our run and how out of shape I felt after drinking last night. Also how I was surprised I haven't run to loo to vomit that day, which Liz cringed in response. A few minutes later, a tall, redheaded man walked over to our table and handed us our waters.

"My name is George," He said, playing with the rag on his apron. "I'll be serving you this evening."

"Morning." I automatically corrected, the words slipping out of my mouth before I even thought about it. A hand shot up to my mouth, and I laughed nervously. "I'm so sorry, I don't normally do that—,"

"No, no, it's no problem." He chuckled. "I'm new here, I'm just helping out my younger sister for the time being."

"She owns the place?" I questioned, and he nodded.

"I reckon she needs a few extra hands these days." He laughed. "Most of my brothers and I are pitching in, but I'm cursed with the morning shifts."

"So that one," Liz pointed to a tall, ginger man scrubbing a table with a rag. It looked as if he couldn't keep his eyes open, and he had to shake his head in able to stay awake. "Is he your brother also?"

"Sadly, yes." He laughed. "He's not a morn—,"

"What's his name?" I asked, still staring in the man's direction, cutting off George's sentence. The man across the tables hadn't noticed that I was so clearly staring at him and his blue eyes, and how they switched from side to side when he was rubbing down the table.

"His name?" George asked. "Oh, it's Ron. I personally like to call him Ronnikins, from time to time, but that's beside the point. So, for your breakfast today ladies?"

After reciting our orders to George, he took our menus and walked over to Ron. Placing his hand on his shoulder and whispering something into Ron's ear, Ron shrugged George's hand off his shoulder and George laughed loudly.

"What was that about?" Liz asked. I stopped watching what was happening behind her back, and transitioned back into our conversation.

"What?" I asked innocently while taking a sip of my water.

"The whole Ron thing," She asked. "You were staring at him like he was…I don't know," She blanked out and I smiled behind my glass. "But you get the point."

"He's attractive," I said. "Can't help but stare, I guess."

"George was too, why couldn't you stare at him?" Liz pouted and fixed her napkin onto her lap. "He was right here, in front of your nose and you look across at Ron?"

"Are we going to have a debate about attractive waiters in a restaurant? Honestly, Liz?" I said. "Anyways, I see attractive men everywhere I turn, it's not like I'm just staring because I think he's the _one _or something."

"But it sort of looked like it," She commented.

"No, it didn't." I laughed.

"Yeah, it did."

"I seriously doubt that."

"I don't, and I saw you. I could ask George to back me up—,"

"No, it's fine, you don't have to." I sighed in defeat. "I don't know what happened," I confessed.

"I reckon it's just your emotions right now." She said. "Lost your job, no boyfriend, living alone with a cat…"

"You spend most nights with me Liz, you barely spend the night at your own flat." I countered.

"True, but I do have a date tonight, Hermione. A _date _with an actual _human being."_ She said, and I seemed a bit more interesting a flock of pigeons atop a tarp than to hear what Liz was saying that the moment. "I'm not just staring at him in a restaurant."

"Obviously, it's just the daily bus stop routine." I mocked her, and she glared through thinned eyes. "But Liz, I'm a big girl. Though it's nice to have help from you, which I appreciate, I can take certain matters into my own hands."

"Fine," Liz deflated in her seat. "But promise me one thing?" She held up her pointer finger and mouthed please. I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Get a job before the end of the month."

"Does it matter where?" I asked, and she shook her head. "Okay. Deal." I reached my hand across the table and in return she shook it.

"Pleasure doing business with you Hermione." She smiled.

"And to you."

I was done with walking for the day, let alone _running_. So while Liz jogged back to our apartment complex, her and her athletic self, I was a lazy bum and called a taxi to take me home. The cabbie tried to make small talk with me, and I responded, but there was nothing left to say other than 'my day's been good,' and 'how's your day been?"

It was only eleven when I reached my flat again, trying several times to get through the door, only to realize two minutes later it was the wrong key. As soon as I stepped into my apartment, I walked into my room to grab my book from the library and sat on the couch next to my cat, Crookshanks, until the sun fell once again in the late night.

"Crookshanks," I yawned. "I think it's time that you and I ate dinner and went to sleep, how does that sound?"

Almost in response to me, Crookshanks stood up and stretched before lazily making his way over to his food. After I had given Crookshanks his food, I walked over to my fridge and opened it up.

"Empty?" I questioned. "There's no way it's empty, I made…nothing last night." I groaned, realizing I was supposed to go grocery shopping yesterday, but resulted in a job loss, punching bag anger management issue, and a few glasses of rum and diet coke.

Knowing that I had to eat something, I grabbed my purse and walked out the door, hailing a taxicab. Riding back to the restaurant I had been to early this morning, not knowing why, I walked up to find a woman closing up the shop. In her right hand dangled a help wanted poster that she then proceeded to place on the front window.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" I shook out of my trace and looked at the woman who stood in front of me. Her hair was similar to George's, however her eyes were brown and she looked as if age had not touched her face.

"Actually, would you mind it I asked you a question, just a quick one?" I said, and she nodded her head while adjusting her scarf. "I couldn't help but notice the help wanted sign, and I've been recently…unemployed."

"So you want a job?" She asked, and I nodded sheepishly. "Well, come in tomorrow at noon, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Ginny." I smiled, and she tilted her head to the side. "Your brother told me your name this morning."

"Oh, that makes more sense doesn't it?" She laughed. "And I didn't catch your name, I'm sorry."

"Hermione." I said.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow Hermione."

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

**Review?:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: If you read the other version of chapter 2, DISREGARD THAT ENTIRE CHAPTER. Anything I say in this chapter will be to sort of the same effect but with a few added details :)**

**HERMIONE IS A WITCH.**

**She doesn't know it yet, but she is. So don't think I'm leaving the plot line hanging here… :)**

**Enjoy the chapter; I hope it's not too bad ;)**

**Chapter Two: Again**

_Again._

Over and over, this word repeated in my mind and has been since the very second I woke up in the morning. A thousand tiny men with a thousand small but powerful jackhammers having a go at my head again, for what seemed to be the hundredth time. I quickly shook the thought out of my head, because this feeling was merely just a repeat of the day before. And the day before that.

I felt a ray of light come through my blinds, stabbing me in the eye, and it felt like a routine. I had, for the sixth night in a row, forgotten to close the blinds before I passed out on my bed with the night's clothes still on. Bloody fantastic, if you ask me. I could hear and feel my stomach twisting and turning, and I felt like I had to run towards the loo any second and empty its contents_._ But I knew that I wouldn't make it that far that quick, I would probably collapse in a sad heap on the floor. I sat there in bed, merely thinking of all the mistakes that I told myself I wouldn't make again_._ I glanced across my room to see a mirror above my dresser, and I saw the sad being I had become.

My eyes were sunken in, dark bags hung under my eyes clearly showing my lack of sleep. My skin looked pale, beads of sweat running down the side of my face. My hair was bushier than usual, if at all possible, and it was full of massive knots.

I groaned in response to the factors all mashing into one massive pain, clutching a pillow tightly around my head and squeezing my eyes shut. I sat there, hoping that the goose feathers in the pillow were some sort of magic, able to block reality. However, this fantasy was short lived, as my headache soon began to worsen.

This hangover had been worse than yesterday's, and yesterday's had been worse than the day before that. To think it'd only been a week since I had lost my job adds to the growing nausea in my stomach. Only _seven _days ago had the spark ignited the avalanche, and now all of this was crashing down. Burning to the ground and leaving ashes to blacken the soil, the ashes being my sanity and common sense. Hopefully little rays of light would make their presence at the end of the tunnel, but hopefully not stabbing me in the eyes in the process.

Liz and I haven't spoken since we went for a jog that one morning, but she's made attempts to see me. She's just wanted to hear my voice, but for some reason, I wouldn't have any of it. My parents call relentlessly, but I merely let the message go on my machine. My mother would try and make me happy, giving me one of her pity-happy talks. My father would stand right beside her, slipping some of his authority in the conversation. Thirty-one voicemails show that I haven't even made an attempt to even think about picking up the phone.

After I heard the sound of a bird chirping at my window, I knew I would have to wake sooner or later. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, shielding my eyes from the window I had left open the night before; to which I cursed myself for doing. I would think that after six mornings of this happening (in a row, mind you) I would have learned by now.

I heard the sharp sound of the phone ringing, seeping into my skull and bouncing off the sides of my bone, unable to escape. I had no choice other than to answer, or my head would explode from a telephone ring. And that's not the way I intend on dying.

"Hello, this is Hermione." I nearly groaned into the phone, pinching the bridge of my nose. I heard an extremely audible breathing sound come from the other line, and I knew this sound all too well. His large structure and his cat-like eyes, I could feel him glaring into my soul through the telephone call and he hadn't even said a single word yet.

"Mrs. Granger, you're late again."

"It's Miss Granger actually, but Mr. Pondwell, I assure you—,"

"This has already happened twice, _Miss_ Granger. One of those times was last month. " He said sternly. "This is the third time you are late on your rent."

"Mr. Pondwell, let me explain. I lost my—," I said while I stood up, but I had soon realized that I had stood up too quickly. I groaned softly and slowly placed myself back on my bed, trying to remember what I was going to tell him.

"You lost your money?" He asked, acid dripping from his tongue. "I suppose you're out of a job now, huh? No food in the fridge, and I supposed that precious cat of yours doesn't have anything to eat either."

"He doesn't have anything to eat, actually, we don't." I shamefully accepted, smoothing out a pillow on my bed. "I've been eating at a restaurant for a week now, my friend-"

"Well, that's quite expensive, is it not?" He questioned, cutting me off before I had the chance to explain. "I suppose it's a five star restaurant, and your cat is eating the catch of the day."

"Mr. Pondwell, please hear me out." I pleaded. "There's no need to mock me for this. I lost my job a week ago, and I had no savings. That's what I used last month to pay for my rent. One of my friends owns said restaurant and she's letting me eat with her until I have enough money to buy food. My cat too." I could hear him click his tongue over the phone.

"Miss Granger, you had no problem for a while before the previous month. And as I recall, you had your job then. Why had you used your savings on paying rent while you were still employed?" He asked, digging himself further into my personal life with a shovel. All I wanted to do was take said shovel and smack him in the forehead with it.

"I took a pay cut in order to keep my job, sir." I reminded him. "I did anything I could to keep the job, I loved my job."

"Yes, yes. Working at the Telegraph newspaper is quite an honour." He said. "However, you still lost your job. In the end, it all winds up on this little phone call."

"Yes…" I breathed out. "I guess so… Mr. Pondwell, sir, would you please give me just one more week to pay? I promise this will be the last time."

"A week?" He asked, and I could hear his tiny little brain thinking. The machine of his inner robot brain clunking around. "No." The word caused a tear to fall from the corner of my eye and roll down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly with my shaking thumb.

"I'll have my things out of my apartment by four then." My voice was quiet, and sounded shameful. Pathetic, even. My feelings showing in my voice was finally a breaking point, and another two tears escaped my eyes.

"Miss Granger, I said not a week." He said, and then he sighed loudly. "You have three days to get this money to me. All four hundred pounds of it. Not a pence less."

"Al-alright." I stuttered, wiping away more tears. "Thank you so much, Mr. Pondwell. You won't regret it."

"Yeah, that's what you said last time…" Then a click told me that he had hung up and that's when the panic started to seep in. Honestly, I don't mix well with panic. I mix well with panic just as well as my stomach mixes with poison.

* * *

><p>"I'm here to see Elizabeth Hawkins, she's my best friend." I told the receptionist, for what seemed to be the thousandth time. She rolled her eyes, and tapped a pencil on a blank pad of paper.<p>

"I've already informed you miss. You don't have an appointment, and you have to have an appointment in order to see any of our workers. Now, can you please leave before I have to call security?" She scowled, the fakeness of her tone made me sick to my stomach. I took a deep breath, and then shook my head.

"No, I need to see her. Can you at least call her?" I asked, and she groaned quietly.

"Please, miss. I'm asking you to leave."

"And I'm asking you to call her." I jabbed heatedly, leaning over the desk.

"Alright, lady. This is your _last _warning before I call the poli-,"

"Hermione?"

Both the bitchy receptionist and I turned towards the door where the sound had come from, and Liz stood there with her jaw nearly on the ground. I straightened up and coughed loudly, awkwardly looking away from the receptionist.

"I was just coming to talk to you…" I mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear. Liz gave me a judging glance, looking me over to see what I'd done. She cocked her eyebrow, and then gave her work smile. She turned to the girl, and nodded.

"She's with me, Victoria." She walked towards me, picking up a folder that was in a well-organized sorter. "She's always allowed back to see me, no matter what."

"No problem, Ms. Hawkins. I'll be sure to add her to the list." Her tone was sickly sweet, but she shot me a glare afterwards.

"Fantastic."

"Have a good day." I added as I walked away, and she merely scoffed and turned back to her computer. I followed Liz down a series of hallways, passing many well-dressed people absorbed into their work. Liz stayed quiet, only glancing back at me a few times to make sure I was really following her. Once we turned into her office, Liz quietly closed her door and shut the blinds before turning on me.

"BLOODY HELL, HERMIONE! DID YOU WALK OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET?" Her eyes seemed to bug out of her head, her face slowly starting to turn read.

"God, Liz. Don't scream at me." I sat down in front of her desk, crossing my legs as I watched her begin to pace. "I've just been a mess the past week or so, that's all."

"_That's all? _That's all, Hermione?" Liz ran her fingers through her hair, and continued to walk quickly back and forth across the room. She turned to me, and said loudly. "You promised me, _promised_, that you would pull yourself back together. But then you don't answer any of my messages nor your mother's, and you scare the hell out of both of us!"

"I know, Liz. I feel awful, in more ways than not." I replied lamely, looking down at my hands.

"You should've picked up your phone." Her voice had gone down, and she was facing away from me and her arms had returned to her sides. I felt awful for making her feel this way, making her worry. I hadn't gone a day without talking to Liz in _years _so it's expected she would act this way after six days of my absence.

"I know." I said softly after a few seconds.

A comfortable silence fell between the two of us, the sounds of her office casually lurking in the background. I took a few deep breaths, thinking of what I was going to say over and over to make sure I didn't say anything remotely idiotic. Even though it seemed to be too late for that.

"I came to your flat too." She added, walking over to her desk and tidying up a few papers. She sat down and then gave me a look. "Quite a few times actually."

"I-ummm…" I stuttered. "I'm so lost, Liz. I mean… I know what I'm supposed to do. I've gotten a job, and that seemed to be the biggest priority. But…I lost it after that. I completely lost it." I admitted, playing with the hem of my shirt and avoiding her gaze.

"You got a job?" I nodded slowly. Her face lit up, and she gave me a sympathetic smile. "That's brilliant! You're getting back up on your feet, that's great."

"I'm not so sure." I muttered, and she cocked her head to the side to question me. I sighed, and explained. "I got the job five days ago. So for the past five days…I've been wasting myself away…"

"Hermione—,"

"It's like one step forward and two steps back." I confessed, hiding my face in my hands. Liz rolled her eyes, leaning over her desk to pull my hands away from my face. She looked sympathetic, and her eyes had turned sad.

"Don't you dare say that."

"What?" I blinked, staring at her blankly.

"The-I-…" Liz sighed sadly, glancing off towards the closed window. "You're so negative right now, I don't like it. That's not the Hermione I know." She confessed.

"What am I supposed to do, Liz? I've lost everything." I said, straightening up in my seat.

"Dear lord, Hermione." Liz scoffed slightly, tilting her head back slightly. "How long is it going to take for me to drill into your head that you have more than you think you do?"

I furrowed my brow in confusion, and my silence clearly showed her I needed something else. Some sort of explanation.

"I know what you're probably thinking. You've lost your job, and there's probably some other factor that has your knickers up in a twist-,"

"Mr. Pondwell."

"Who the hell is Mr. Pondwell?" Liz asked, her eyes slightly growing wider. Her mouth formed an 'O' shape, before giving me a disapproving look. "Please don't tell me he's some guy who you—,"

"Just stop." I snapped, and the tension grew thick. I took a deep breath and fidgeted with my hands. "He's my flat tenant and he expects me to pay the rent in a matter of three days…"

"So, you've got the rent problem now too. But for any problems you have, you always know you can come to me for help. Your mum too, if necessary. You know that."

"But—,"

"No 'buts', Hermione. We're all here for you, whether you chose to see it or not. You still have your flat and that bloody cat of yours." I smiled at this. "You're getting food somehow, and it seems a loyal supply of alcohol as well. It's not the worst…is what I'm trying to say."

"I see…" I said, realizing how selfish I had been. Ginny had been kind enough to let me come in every morning to grab food for the day, and she said it was free of charge. I insisted that I could pay her back somehow, but she said it was no big deal. George, her brother whose job I was taking, was supplying me with the alcohol late at night. He turned out to be a pretty nice bloke, a funny drunk too.

I'd smiled over the past five days, I remember. It's not like I had been dying, I had laughed and smiled over the span of those five days. That showed it wasn't completely awful.

Liz is right.

It's not the worst, nor is it remotely as bad as I've made it out to be.

"Fuck…I've messed up." I muttered, scrunching up my nose and taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, you have." She repeated, and I looked up at her. Liz was never one to sugarcoat the truth, and it's one of her best qualities. "But you'll be fine, as long as you stay _positive _and don't let anything get in you-,"

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted her, and she picked it up.

"Elizabeth Hawkins." She answered, and she stuck her tongue out at me. After that, I knew our talk was over. I smiled back at her, watching as she made an arrangement with a client (or at least that's what I got from eavesdropping on the conversation). She hung up a few minutes later, and flashed me a smile.

"Well, I've got a client waiting for me." She got up, straightening out her pencil skirt.

"Have fun." I offered lamely, and she glared at me before giving a small laugh.

"It'll be alright." She shrugged, walking towards me. "Now you, on the other hand, need to stay positive. The glass is always half full, remember that."

"Will do." I smiled, and she walked over to me with two strides (curse her beautiful, long legs) and enveloped me in a tight hug.

"I'll always be here, Hermione. Remember that." She whispered, and then let me go. "Good luck at your first day of work, tell me how it goes." We both walked out of her office and she shut the door.

"Okay, and Liz?"

She turned around to look at me.

"Thanks Liz…really."

"Well, that's what friends are for."

* * *

><p>The day passed on rather quickly, even though I still had little voices reminding me of everything wrong. I took Liz's advice and saw the light in things, and actually put my day to use and did what I wanted. I went to the public library and read a book for a few hours, blocking out the rest of the world.<p>

And it felt amazing.

It had been almost a week since I'd really dove into a book and get engulfed by it. I was completely surrounded by another world, another reality, and I liked that. Somehow, it made my worries grow smaller and smaller.

Liz's advice helped a great deal, and I even went over to her apartment for dinner. I had already phoned Ginny and told her I would be in at six-thirty for work, just like we had talked about. I could tell she was wondering why I hadn't stopped by for my food like the days previous, but she avoided the topic. I didn't want to seem like a charity case, and everything seemed to get better.

I could do this.

"I can do this…" I muttered to myself as I walked up to Sunshine Daises, however this time it was to start my first day at work. I walked through the front doors, still repeating certain phrases. "Come on, Hermione. You can do this. You can do this…I can do this." I would have looked like a lunatic had someone else been there, observing my abnormal ways. It looked like I was alone, so I believed that I was fine. Then, I made my way back to the place where I would collect my apron for the day.

I pushed open the swinging door, only to be met with a pair of beautiful, blue eyes that seemed to stare right back into mine.

**A/N:**

**This chapter… is a bit depressing to be honest, but it WILL GET BETTER in the next chapter :) I just had to start off the conflicts in the story, that's all :) There's still one more I have to start off, but that's next chapter ;) And for all of you that think Liz is being a total bitch, she just wants the best for Hermione.**

**As for the lateness of the chapter…I barely have a reason.**

**I had a REALLY bad concussion for a while, so I didn't write for quite some time. And when I got released, I just hadn't written in SO LONG, the other chapters were not very pretty.**

**Other than that, there's really no excuse that this chapter is so late :( I'm sorry. I sort of just wrote all this in 6 hours… so hopefully it's not all that bad ;)**

**I'm currently working on the third chapter, and I'm going to be alternating between my Harry/Ginny story and this one… so… yeah :)**

**Anyways…**

**PLEASE REVIEW?;D**

**~DearRonWeasley31**


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